Botany · 19th century
€ 1 090
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Good antique condition with age-related toning, occasional foxing and light handling wear consistent with age. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.
Antique Wax Apple Fruit Botanical Chromolithograph by Hoola van Nooten, c. 1880
A magnificent original antique botanical chromolithograph depicting the fruit of the Wax Apple, also known as Java Apple, Water Apple, or Bell Fruit. The plate is titled Fructus Jambosae Domesticae after the work of Georg Eberhard Rumphius and illustrates Syzygium aqueum (formerly Jambosa domestica), one of Southeast Asia's most attractive and historically important fruit trees.
Native to the Malay Archipelago, including Indonesia, the Wax Apple has been cultivated for centuries for its crisp, refreshing fruit and handsome ornamental appearance. The glossy, bell-shaped fruits range from pale pink to deep crimson and are prized throughout Southeast Asia for their delicate sweetness and high water content.
The composition beautifully illustrates a fruiting branch laden with mature Wax Apples together with finely executed botanical studies of the fruit and seed. The striking scarlet fruit contrasts elegantly with the rich evergreen foliage, creating one of the most decorative fruit plates in Berthe Hoola van Nooten's celebrated botanical masterpiece.
The artwork was painted from life on the island of Java by the distinguished Dutch botanical artist Berthe Hoola van Nooten (1817–1892). It was published in her masterpiece, Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de l'Ile de Java, widely regarded as one of the finest nineteenth-century botanical publications devoted to the flora of the Dutch East Indies. Printed in rich chromolithography by P. De Pannemaeker of Ghent, this plate was issued in the third edition published in Brussels by Librairie Européenne C. Muquardt around 1880.
Today, the Wax Apple remains one of the most beloved tropical fruits throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, while its attractive foliage and brilliant fruit make it a favorite ornamental tree. This original antique print combines botanical importance with exceptional decorative appeal and is among the finest fruit subjects from the Hoola van Nooten series.
This is an original antique print, printed circa 1880, and not a modern reproduction or later copy.
Artist:
Berthe Hoola van Nooten (1817–1892)
Publication:
Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages Choisis de l'Ile de Java
Publisher:
Librairie Européenne C. Muquardt, Brussels
Printer:
P. De Pannemaeker, Ghent
Date:
Circa 1880
Medium:
Original chromolithograph on wove paper.
Condition:
Good antique condition with age-related toning, occasional foxing and light handling wear consistent with age. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form part of the description.
Please note that any framed images are for display inspiration only. The print is sold unframed. Framed mock-ups are not always shown to exact scale and are intended solely to illustrate how the artwork may look when displayed.
Keywords:
original antique print, original chromolithograph, botanical print, Wax Apple, Java Apple, Water Apple, Bell Fruit, Syzygium aqueum, Jambosa domestica, Fructus Jambosae Domesticae, Rumphius, tropical fruit, Indonesian botanical art, Java, Indonesia, Dutch East Indies, Berthe Hoola van Nooten, Victorian botanical illustration, nineteenth century botanical print, antique botanical wall art, natural history print, scientific illustration, P. De Pannemaeker, Muquardt Brussels, museum quality botanical art, rare botanical print, collectible botanical print, circa 1880
